Auto Expo 2014: New Bikes to Watch Out For!

Every automobile junkie in the country is waiting quite impatiently for the new year to come around, and it isn’t so that they can make a new set of resolutions. India’s motor-vehicle extravaganza, Auto Expo 2014 is set to happen early next year, and there’s an exciting cohort of companies on the list of invitees. We too are eagerly anticipating the event. So in order to prepare ourselves for the spectacle, we’ve lined up some content to get you up to speed on the brands to watch out for, so you aren’t left in a daze when the vehicles do finally come around. Today, we do a list of bikes expected to be launched at the Auto Expo.

Triumph’s high end bikes may not be for the average Indian buyer but they do have an undeniable appeal

Triumph Motorbikes

After a protracted wait lasting almost 2 years, Triumph has set foot on Indian soil and is all set to get the wheels moving on its operations in the country. Triumph has a fully functional manufacturing plant out of Manesar in Haryana and is also working on developing one on the outskirts of Bangalore. The British bike maker, expected to land in India as early as 2011, was bogged down by a number of delays. The bikes they have lined up includes the Bonneville, which will be priced around 6 lakhs all the way up to the Triumph Rocket III, costing 25-30 lakh INR. Bikes will probably only be assembled locally for now and from-scratch production will take a while to kick off.

Harley’s Project Rushmore promises to bring more new, affordable bikes to India. The newly released Street Glide is pictured here.

Harley Davidson 500cc

HD’s 2014 Project Rushmore programme brings good tidings for the company’s Indian devotees. The brand is working on a low displacement cruiser specially for the Indian subcontinent. To cater to their audience that loves cruisers but cannot afford the high-end ones, Harley Davidson has decided to make one that will be competitively priced for the Indian market. Also on the list of arrivals is the Street Glide, a high end bike with a projected cost of 29 lakh INR due to its import duties. The touring bike features a High Power Twin Cam engine and even sports a lavish infotainment system.

Mahindra Mojo has been redone after the concept was revealed in 2011 (Image Source)

Mahindra Mojo

Mahindra just confirmed an entry for the 2014 Auto Expo with a vehicle we’d hardly expect to see coming out of the company’s chop shop. It isn’t a car that’s making news ahead of Mahindra’s Auto Expo endeavour, its the Mahindra Mojo- a 300cc bike. The Mojo’s concept version was unveiled way back in 2010 and it’s come back after a few design reconsiderations. Mahindra’s execs say that they plan on launching a new bike every 3 months till 2016 and an international tie-up may also be on the cards.

The design of the new Karizma has been receiving quite a lot of flak (Image Source)

Hero Karizma 2014

This is one of those bikes that is getting the most ambivalent reactions ever. On the one hand you have the fact that it is after all a Karizma, a bike with pedigree and a cult following. Add to that the fact that the latest version has Eric Buell Racing’s design inputs in its DNA, and you may think that all the ingredients for success were on the table. But there is a curve on this ball and it comes courtesy the bike itself. There has been a large segment of their audience that has laid into Hero for the way the bike looks, especially the fairing and headlights. So it will be very interesting to see how the bike does when it gets launched.